Benedict Cumberbatch IS engaged – and asked fiancée Sophie Hunter’s mum for permission to propose!

We’re stabbing at the keyboard randomly as the mascara cascades down our face and mixes with the puddle of snotty drool on our desk right now, but hopefully you get the gist: Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed he IS engaged to Sophie Hunter, and he even flew to Scotland to get her mum’s permission before he popped the question.

SOUNDS OF CHOKED SOBBING AS YOUR WRITER TRIES TO COLLECT HERSELF

The ‘Batch, who as we reported this morning did the poshest thing ever of putting his engagement news in the* Times*’ social column, is something of a dark horse, having kept his relationship with the theatre director under wraps for the last few years.

They were last spotted together at the French Open in June, and then again at London restaurant Quaglino's, but Sophie is thought to have wanted to remain anonymous, so Benedict has never mentioned her in any recent interviews.

The 38-year-old Sherlock star had good reason to keep his lady-friend a secret, seeing how mental some I.E NOT US of his fans are. On a completely unrelated note, our thoughts and prayers are with Tumblr at this sad time.

Benedict and Sophie met back in 2009 when they starred opposite each other in Burlesque Fairytales. She’s also played Ophelia in Hamlet, which he is set to star in next year at London’s Barbican. OH GOD THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING.

A BRIEF HIATUS WHILE YOUR WRITER KNOCKS BACK A DRAM OF WHISKEY AND ACCEPTS A REASSURING SHOULDER-PAT FROM HER EDITOR

Anyway, the couple seem really well suited. Benedict’s sister – who incidentally is called Tracy Peacock, because this family have a cast-iron monopoly on the best names in the English language – told an interviewer once that Ben had a hard time trying to find the right person to be with.

“One of his regrets is that he hasn’t found someone to settle down with,” she added. “You would have to be a pretty smart cookie to keep up with him. I think that is possibly why he has trouble with girlfriends.”

Seeing as Sophie’s an Oxford graduate with a modern language degree, he’s got no problem there.

Right, well we’re going to see if we can get the rest of the day off as compassionate leave. We suggest you do the same.

Just remember...

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